


Beyond These Woods

by CatlixMeowscouty



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Yokai, Animal Shifters, Bakeneko, Demons, Gen, Journey, Kenma is Dead, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shiryo, Slow Build, light gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-21 18:40:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8256271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatlixMeowscouty/pseuds/CatlixMeowscouty
Summary: "What are you afraid of? Surely, your parents taught you that demons are bad." Kuroo asks, baring pearly white fangs that would scare any normal person. Kenma is not a normal person.   "The woods." The boy says simply, before turning and disappearing into the dense forest surrounding them.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to be a Red Riding Hood AU for Kuroken... I have no fucking clue what happened.

The boy in the middle of the woods was small, almost like a child, but it was clear that he had knowledge beyond his years. He looked lost. Which didn't surprise Kuroo, considering that there were no towns or houses for miles and miles. To say the least, Kuroo was confused by his presence.

  It wasn't the boy itself that confused Kuroo, it was the aura surrounding him. It was white in the center around the boy, pure white; which would have been unusual in itself if it wasn't covered by thick, drowning dark blue, like the ocean. The boy was an oddity, to say the least.

 

"Hey, Kuroo, don't you think we should head back? This human isn't interesting enough to stay this long, yknow." His partner piped up from next to him. Kuroo's ears twitched, and he waved a hand to dismiss the young lion. Lev was shaping up to be a good _bakeneko_ , but he hadn't quite mastered aura reading the way Kuroo had. Shrugging, the boy turned tail and bounded off, presumably to go check on his mate, Yaku, much to the sandcat's chagrin. The thought made Kuroo grin, baring white fangs until the boy made a soft noise.

  Looking up, Kuroo made eye-contact with him. The boy blinked slowly, once, twice, before retreating into his light shawl and shivering slightly. Out of fear, maybe, or perhaps from cold. Kuroo had no more time to think about it before he spoke. "I know you are there, werecat, so why do you hide?" Kuroo was blown away to say the least. Not only had the young human spotted him, but he didn't sound afraid. At least, not of Kuroo. Kuroo, unable to deny himself the pleasure of seeing another human shake at the sight of him, stepped from the woods. But all he was rewarded with was a sharp intake of breath.

Kuroo didn't see why the boy wasn't scared of him. He may not have been the fiercest _bakeneko_ of the forest (for that pleasure was reserved for old man Nekomata, a contradiction of his name) but he certainly wasn't the cuddliest either. Kuroo felt robbed of his joy and felt his hackles raising, until he took a good look at the boy.  He hid behind his hair, pulling his shawl closer around himself and the dark blue of his aura threatened to overtake the white for only a moment before the white fought back. It was as if his soul was at war with itself. Kuroo narrowed his eyes, before sitting back on his haunches. "Why aren't you afraid of me?" He asked, sounding almost as if he was whining. Not that he would agreed with that.

  The boy looked at him strangely, then spoke again, slowly almost as if Kuroo was a child. "You aren't going to hurt me. I'm not afraid of you, werecat." Kuroo lashes his tail, but the boy has a point. If he were going to hurt him, the boy would already be dead, throat ripped out and piercing golden eyes dulling, with blood running around him in rivets, coating that _beautiful blond pudding hair of his and_ -

 

Kuroo physically shakes his head, growling at himself slightly. It had been moons since his last kill, and it would be many more. Instead, he focuses on the emotion in said boy's golden eyes (they remind him of a cat, oddly enough). He responds a few moments later, not feeling the need to rush. "Then what are you afraid of, lost boy?" The blond looks confused, then to Kuroo's surprise he sits down in front of the panther, still shivering strangely. "I'm not lost." He said simply and Kuroo has to stop himself from growling, but the boy continues. "I'm not afraid of you, or the bakeneko. Of the dark or the sun." He says, still speaking slowly. Kuroo is starting to realize that he speaks slowly for himself rather than for the bakeneko in front of him.

   "I'm afraid of the woods."

At this, Kuroo does a double take. Afraid of the woods? Where they currently were? He almost laughs, convinced the boy is joking until he looks up and sees the seriousness in his eyes. And Kuroo is almost... concerned? He doesn't understand why this human is so interesting to him, but he is. During Kuroo's internal conflict, the boy stands and starts making his way from the clearing, stumbling slightly as if drunk. Kuroo pops up, walking until he's side-by-side with the human. "Let me help you out of the woods, then. I know this area very well." He says, trying to convince to boy to let him help him. It wasn't with malicious intent for once, and Kuroo didn't know why he wanted to help the boy. Maybe it was the innocent look of his hair, or the beautiful way his eyes zeroed in on Kuroo. The boy says nothing.

   "Tell me your name, at least." He says, padding softly next to the boy in companionable silence. It's quiet for a few more minutes before the boy responds. "I don't know." He says and Kuroo stops. The boy stops. It's quiet. Then-

"You- you don't know your own name? What the hell?" He says, confused and the boy shrugged, going back to fiddling with his fingers. Kuroo is perplexed. "I don't.. I don't remember my name. Or my age or.. where I live. Or what I'm doing here.. I don't know." The boy says, voice soft and cracking at the end and Kuroo's eyes soften. The hair, the eyes and the voice combined like that.. it almost makes Kuroo want to take him back to-

 

No. He refuses to be pushed over by a small, cute human boy.

 

  But then again... the helpless look in his golden cat eyes, and the way his silky hair cascaded over his shoulders in flowy waves.. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad..

 

**_-_ **

 

Dammit.

 

  "Kuroo, you're going to be in troubl- ow! That hurt, Yaku!" Lev cut off when small but sharp teeth suck into his tail. The perpetrator, a small sandcat named Yaku, looked pleased with himself. Kuroo shook his head, ignoring the young lion's complaints and instead focusing on Yaku. Despite the sandcat's size, he was the most knowledgable healer of the clan and would certainly help Kuroo with this human sized problem.

"No." Yaku mewed, flicking Lev's tail from his back with annoyance before focusing back on Kuroo. Well, there went that plan. "But Yaku! Look at how cute he is? Can we keep him?" Lev whisper-shouted, and all eyes went to the sleeping human on Kuroo's back, clutching onto black fur and breathing softly. Yaku frowned, whiskers twitching. "If Nekomata finds out-" He starts but is cut off by both Kuroo and Lev's eyes on him.

   "He won't find out." Kuroo says, winking his one eye at Yaku (which made him look like even more of an idiot, in Yaku's opinion). Said Sandcat sighs heavily, a bit exaggerated but it got the point across. "Fine. Take it to our den." He groans and turns away, hobbling to said den with Lev hovering behind him. Kuroo smiles softly. Ever since Lev had started courting the sandcat, they'd been inseparable. And now that Yaku was carrying their kits, it was even more evident that Lev wouldn't leave him alone. Not to mention that Kuroo didn't even know how the hell the small wildcat is able to carry two lion cubs-

His thoughts are interrupted by the human shifting on his back, whimpering slightly. Kuroo starts walking to Yaku and Lev's den, slipping inside and lowering himself to the ground so Yaku could reach the human. Hesitantly, Yaku sets his paws on the human's cheeks, sniffing and wrinkling his nose. "He smells." The sandcat professes, and Kuroo snorts. Before they can continue talking, the boy shifts, reaching out and grabbing at Yaku. He manages to get a loose hold on the sandcat, pulling him in.

 

Immediately, the den is a rush of motion. Yaku hisses, swatting at the boy with a partially sheathed paw fruitlessly. Lev roars, taking a step forward and baring sharp teeth. Despite the fact that the lion acted like a cub 90% of the time, he was still a force to be reckoned with. Kuroo is the one to stop all the movement, by releasing a loud growl that echoes around the cave. The human boy startles away, dropping Yaku, who retreats behind Lev, belly dragging on the den floor. 

   The cave is silent for a moment, bar Yaku's panting and the boy's whimpers. Lev steps forward, towards the boy, and is stopped by Kuroo who stands, shielding the boy much like Lev is doing with his mate. The two big cats face off for a moment before shifting into human forms, with Lev towering over Kuroo and the latter snarling at Lev. They growl at each other before Yaku moves between them, having shifted himself.

"Stop." Is all he says, but surprisingly, both big cats stand down, with Kuroo bowing his head in submission to the smaller man and Lev nuzzling into his neck as an apology. Yaku's fierce eyes zero in on the boy, who is shaking on the den floor. Yaku hisses softly at Lev and the lion-shifter backs off, dipping his head bashfully as Yaku approaches the boy carefully.

  "Are you okay?" He says softly and after a moment's hesitation, the boy shakes his head no. Yaku nods, shifting back into his cat form and slowly slipping into the boy's lap. Astonishingly, Yaku starts purring and slowly the human relaxes, hesitantly setting a hand on Yaku's back and stroking him. Lev and Kuroo exchange glances, amazed that the small sandcat was that close to a human, nonetheless one they had just met. Whether it was parental instincts or knowledge from being a clan healer, it was working and soon the boy was completely at ease, stroking Yaku softly.

 

"What happened?" Yaku murmurs, the words only meant for the boy and the boy looks down at his hands, flexing the joints. Yaku is patient, much more patient than Kuroo thinks he would have been in this situation. "I don't know. I woke up in the forest.. it was dark and I don't know where I am. But.. my mind is leading me somewhere. Like my feet know where I need to go but.. my mind doesn't." The boy whispers, leaning back against the wall as if those words exhausted him. Yaku nods, and they spent a few more moments in silence before Yaku stands and steps off of the boy's lap.

   He gestures for Kuroo to go outside with him and the man obliges, still in his human form. Once outside, Yaku doesn't change, continuing to be in his sandcat form. Kuroo knows that even transforming once took a lot out of the pregnant cat, and he appreciates that he got between him and Lev before the fight escalated.

"I don't think he's human, Kuroo. I think he's a Shiryō, a spirit. He doesn't know why he's here, but his body is leading him where he needs to go.. but he's weak, Kuroo. I'm sure you saw his aura, too. He is pure but.. fear and sorrow threaten to overtake him. He can't make it alone." Yaku says, looking at up the black-haired man. Kuroo absorbs the information. Yaku speaks again. "I would help him along to the next world but you know I can't leave the camp in my state, much less journey for who knows how long." Yaku sounds genuinely saddened by this. 

  "Then I will help him." Kuroo murmurs, before his thoughts catch up with him. He's surprised by his words, but Yaku doesn't seem to be. "I know." He says, sadness in his voice. But before Kuroo can dwell on it, Yaku is walking back into the den and Kuroo has to follow him. He stands by while Yaku and Lev speak in quiet tones, the lion lashing his tail and the sandcat staying calm. Eventually, the lion groans turning to Kuroo.

   "Are ya really leaving? For a human?" He says, and Kuroo wonders how Lev sounds so stupid, and so wistful all at once. Kuroo glances at the boy, in all his cat eyed and pudding haired glory, and turned back to Lev. "I guess so." He says, transforming back into his bakeneko form. Lev shakes his head, eyes tired and too old for his face, before his trademark smile is back on his face.

 

  "Then you need supplies!" He basically shouts and Yaku scolds him for his sound. As the two mates pack up food and provisions, Kuroo looks over to the human. He is asleep, clutching at shawl around him like a blanket and Kuroo is hit by the fact that he's going to leave the clan for who knows how long for a human. He almost regrets the decision, but then the boy shifts, his aura almost all a drowning color of blue, and Kuroo doesn't regret anything.   
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and comments if you liked the story- updates will be every Monday.


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